Surveying physical environments and monitoring physical events

ABSTRACT

A computer-implemented method includes receiving surveying data from a proximity barrier survey device. The proximity barrier survey device is mounted to a package. The package is located within a physical environment. The method includes generating a map based on the surveying data. The method includes tracking movement within the physical environment based on the map and the surveying data.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to the field of surveyingtechnology, and more particularly to generating maps based on surveyingdata.

Surveying is determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional positionof points and the distances and angles between them. Surveying workswith elements of geometry, trigonometry, regression analysis, physics,and engineering. Surveying technology may include total stations,retroreflectors, 3D scanners, or surveying software. Surveyingtechnology may be used to generate maps. Surveying technology may usethe global positioning system (GPS) receiver devices. However, these GPSreceiver devices may not be able to survey indoor physical environmentswith a high level of accuracy, or be able to survey indoor physicalenvironments at all.

SUMMARY

According to an embodiment of the present invention, acomputer-implemented method comprising: receiving surveying data from aproximity barrier survey device comprising at least one of a lidar baseddevice, an accelerometer or an altimeter, the proximity barrier surveydevice mounted to a package, the package located within a physicalenvironment; generating a three-dimensional map based on the surveyingdata wherein the surveying data comprises dimensions for the physicalenvironment, dimensions for objects within the physical environment anddimensions of placement of the objects placed within the physicalenvironment; tracking movement of the package within the physicalenvironment based on the map and the surveying data; recording themovement of the package within the physical environment; generating ananimated map of the package within the physical environment;identifying, based on said surveying data, an impact event wherein thepackage experiences a shock greater than a predetermined threshold; andrecording at least one of an impact time or an impact position for theimpact event, and a magnitude of the impact event.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an operational environment suitable foroperation of a surveying program, in accordance with at least oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart depicting operational steps for a surveyingprogram, in accordance with at least one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of components of an operational apparatussuitable for executing a surveying program, in accordance with at leastone embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the invention in more detail, FIG. 1 is a block diagramdisplaying an exemplary operational environment suitable for operationof at least one embodiment of the invention. An operational environment100 may include a physical environment 110, a package 130, a proximitybarrier service device 120, a surveying data 140, a surveying program150, and a map 160, all in mutual communication and interconnected viathe operational environment 100. The operational environment 100 may bea cloud-based, virtual, or distributed environment or a remoteenvironment on defined server hardware, or, more generally, theoperational environment 100 may be any type of environment suitable foraccess by the surveying program 150.

The physical environment 110 may be a physical location, such as a floorof a building, a room, and/or a hallway. The physical environment 110may include physical objects, such as the package 130. The package 130may be, for example, a server or a computing device. The physicalenvironment 110 also includes the proximity barrier service device 120.The proximity barrier service device 120 may be mounted to the package130. The proximity barrier service device 120 may be a lidar baseddevice. A lidar based device is a surveying technology that measuresdistance by illuminating a target with a laser light. Lidar exists as anacronym of Light Detection and Ranging. Lidar surveying technology isable to hide facial details, names, signs, texts, computer screens, andother potentially confidential information. The proximity barrierservice device 120 may be an accelerometer. An accelerometer is a devicethat measures proper acceleration. Single- and multi-axis accelerometersmay detect magnitude and direction of proper acceleration, orientation,coordinate acceleration, vibration, shock, falling, and other types ofmovement. The proximity barrier service device 120 may be an altimeter.An altimeter is an instrument used to measure the height of an object,such as the package 130. For example, the altimeter may determine theheight of the package 130 in order to determine what floor of a buildingthe package 130 is on or if the package 130 is travelling via a ramp,elevator, or stairs. In some embodiments, multiple proximity barrierservice devices, such as the proximity barrier service device 120 may bemounted to the package 130. In some embodiments, the proximity barrierservice device 120 includes a lidar based device, an accelerometer, andan altimeter. In general, the proximity barrier service device 120 isable to collect data about the package 130, other objects within thephysical environment 110 and/or the physical environment 110. Thecollected data is the surveying data 140. For example, in embodimentswhere the proximity barrier service device 120 is a lidar based device,the surveying data 140 may include distance data, such as the package130's distance to other objects and barriers within the physicalenvironment 110.

In other embodiments where the proximity barrier service device 120 is alidar based device, the surveying data 140 may include data collectedfrom a laser, scanner, a photodetector and receiver electronic, and/or aposition and navigation system, all of which are components of a lidarbased device. In some embodiments, the lidar based device may includearrays of high speed detectors and modulation sensitive detector arrays.The high speed detectors and modulation sensitive detector arrays maygenerate each pixel of the map 160 (for embodiments where the map 160 isa raster image) via local processing within the lidar based device, suchas demodulation or gating at high speed, downconverting the signals tovideo rate so that the array may be read like a camera. In such anembodiment, the surveying data 140 includes the array. In someembodiments, the proximity barrier service device 120 is a highresolution 3D lidar camera using homodyne detection with an electroniccharge-coupled device or complementary metal-oxide-semiconductorshutter.

The surveying program 150 is capable of receiving the surveying data 140from the proximity barrier service device 120 and generating the map 160based on the surveying data 140. For example, the surveying data 140 mayinclude distance data obtained from a lidar based proximity barrierservice device.

The map 160 may be a symbolic depiction highlighting relationshipsbetween elements (for example, the package 130) of a space, such as thephysical environment 110. The map 160 may be a two-dimensionalrepresentation of the physical environment 110 or a three-dimensionalrepresentation of the physical environment 110. The surveying program150 may generate the map 160 using the surveying data 140. For example,the surveying data 140 may include dimensions for the physicalenvironment 110, dimensions for the objects within the physicalenvironment 110, and dimensions for how the objects are placed withinthe physical environment 110. In some embodiments, a combination of datafrom a lidar based device and an altimeter may enable the surveyingprogram 150 to generate the map 160. For example, a lidar based devicemay determine distances between various objects and barriers within thephysical environment and an altimeter may determine heights for variousobjects. In such an embodiment, the surveying program 150 may generate athree-dimensional map. In other embodiments, the surveying program 150may generate a three-dimensional map based on surveying data from alidar based device. In such an embodiment, the surveying data 140 mayinclude data from a lidar based device performing a laser scanning or 3Dscanning.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart depicting the operational steps of the surveyingprogram 150, executing within the operational environment 100 of FIG. 1,in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

At step 200, the surveying program 150 receives the surveying data 140from the proximity barrier service device 120. Receiving may include auser explicitly calling the surveying program 150 from a command lineinterface using a reference to the surveying data 140 as an argument.Alternatively, receiving may include automated calls to the surveyingprogram 150, for example, from an integrated development environment oras part of a surveying program management system.

At step 210, the surveying program 150 generates the map 160 based onthe surveying data 140. In some embodiments, the surveying data 140includes data from a lidar based device, such as the proximity barrierservice device 120. In such an embodiment, the lidar based device maysurvey the physical environment 110 to collect distance and topologicaldata such that the surveying program 150 is able to generate the map160. In such an embodiment, the surveying data 140 may include data suchthat the map 160 is a three-dimensional map. The lidar based device mayscan the physical environment 110 via a laser scan or a 3d scan andobtain distance and topological data for the physical environment 110and elements within the physical environment 110. The surveying program150 may construct the map 160 by plotting the distance and topologicaldata received from the lidar based proximity barrier service device atstep 200.

The proximity barrier service device 120 may continuously, regularly, orperiodically survey the physical environment 110. The surveying program150 may continuously, regularly, or periodically receive updatedsurveying data from the proximity barrier service device 120 based onthe proximity barrier service device 120 continuously, regularly, orperiodically surveying the physical environment 110. The surveyingprogram 150 may continuously, regularly, or periodically update the map160 based on receiving updated surveying data from the proximity barrierservice device 120. In some embodiments, the surveying program 150 maycompare the updated surveying data to the surveying data 140 and onlyupdate the map 160 if there are differences between the updatedsurveying data and the surveying data 140.

At step 220, the surveying program 150 tracks movement within thephysical environment 110based on the map 160 and the surveying data 140.Tracking may include monitoring differences between the updatedsurveying data and the surveying data 140. Monitoring may includelogging the differences and cataloging when the differences occur. Insome embodiments, monitoring may include recording the differences. Forexample, differences may be that an object, such as the package 130, hasmoved within the physical environment 110. Such movement data may beobtained by an accelerometer, such as the proximity barrier servicedevice 120. In such an embodiment, the surveying program 150 may recordmaps generated before the movement, during the movement, and after themovement. In such an embodiment, the surveying program 150 may generatemultiple maps depicting how the physical environment 110 appeared at aparticular moment in time, order the multiple maps chronologically andgenerate an animated map, such as a video, via the multiple maps.

At step 230, the surveying program 150 identifies, based on thesurveying data 140 and/or the updated surveying data, an impact event.The impact event is an event in which the package 130 experiences ashock greater than a predetermined threshold. The shock may be indicatedby movement, as determined by an accelerometer, an altimeter, or a lidarbased device. The shock may include dynamic forces resulting frommovement that cause the package 130 to experience acceleration. Theshock may be determined based on the magnitude of the acceleration. Themagnitude of the acceleration may be determined by tracking the movementof the package 130 and/or tracking movement that is distinct frommovement detected by an onboard accelerometer within the package 130 oron the proximity barrier service device 120 that is attached to thepackage 130. The surveying program 150 may also consider height changesduring movement to determine the shock the package 130 experiences. Forexample, if the package 130's altitude changes by two inches as thepackage 130's distance changes by one foot, the surveying program 150may determine that the shock the package 130 experiences is low becausethe package 130 may be, for example, being transported down a ramp. Insome embodiments, the proximity barrier service device 120 may include aforce gauge or dynamometer. In such an embodiment, the surveying program150 may receive the surveying data 140 and/or updated surveying datathat includes when the force gauge or dynamometer detects that thepackage 130 has experienced a shock greater than a predeterminedthreshold. In some embodiments, the surveying program 150 may generatean animated map illustrating the physical environment 110 before,during, and after the package 130 experienced a shock greater than apredetermined threshold. In some embodiments, the magnitude of theimpact is recorded if the package 130 experiences a shock greater than apredetermined threshold.

In some embodiments, the surveying program 150 may record movementassociated with the impact event. Recording movement associated with theimpact event may include recording maps generated by the surveyingprogram 150 from before, after, and/or during the impact event.Recording movement associated with the impact event may also includeanimating the recorded maps to create a video of the impact event.Recording the impact event may include when and where the impact eventtook place. In some embodiments, the surveying program 150 records animpact time for the impact event. In such an embodiment, timestamp datamay be within the surveying data 140. In some embodiments, the surveyingprogram 150 records an impact position for the impact event. In such anembodiment, location data, coordinate data may be within the surveyingdata 140.

In some embodiments, the surveying program 150 monitors impact eventsassociated with the package 130 by receiving input from a lidar sensor,an altitudinal sensor, and an accelerometer, all of which are mounted tothe package 130. The surveying program 150 receives location data fromthe lidar sensor, altitude data from the altitudinal sensor, andacceleration data from the altitudinal sensor. In such an embodiment,the surveying program 150 generates a map, such as the map 160, based onthe location data, the altitude data, and said acceleration data. Insuch an embodiment, the map 160 may be three-dimensional and animated.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram depicting components of a computer 300suitable for executing the surveying program 150. FIG. 3 displays thecomputer 300, the one or more processor(s) 304 (including one or morecomputer processors), the communications fabric 302, the memory 306, theRAM 316, the cache 316, the persistent storage 308, the communicationsunit 310, the I/O interfaces 312, the display 320, and the externaldevices 318. It should be appreciated that FIG. 3 provides only anillustration of one embodiment and does not imply any limitations withregard to the environments in which different embodiments may beimplemented. Many modifications to the depicted environment may be made.

As depicted, the computer 300 operates over a communications fabric 302,which provides communications between the cache 316, the computerprocessor(s) 304, the memory 306, the persistent storage 308, thecommunications unit 310, and the input/output (I/O) interface(s) 312.The communications fabric 302 may be implemented with any architecturesuitable for passing data and/or control information between theprocessors 304 (e.g., microprocessors, communications processors, andnetwork processors, etc.), the memory 306, the external devices 318, andany other hardware components within a system. For example, thecommunications fabric 302 may be implemented with one or more buses or acrossbar switch.

The memory 306 and persistent storage 308 are computer readable storagemedia. In the depicted embodiment, the memory 306 includes a randomaccess memory (RAM). In general, the memory 306 may include any suitablevolatile or non-volatile implementations of one or more computerreadable storage media. The cache 316 is a fast memory that enhances theperformance of computer processor(s) 304 by holding recently accesseddata, and data near accessed data, from memory 306.

Program instructions for the surveying program 150 may be stored in thepersistent storage 308 or in memory 306, or more generally, any computerreadable storage media, for execution by one or more of the respectivecomputer processors 304 via the cache 316. The persistent storage 308may include a magnetic hard disk drive. Alternatively, or in addition toa magnetic hard disk drive, the persistent storage 308 may include, asolid state hard disk drive, a semiconductor storage device, read-onlymemory (ROM), electronically erasable programmable read-only memory(EEPROM), flash memory, or any other computer readable storage mediathat is capable of storing program instructions or digital information.

The media used by the persistent storage 308 may also be removable. Forexample, a removable hard drive may be used for persistent storage 308.Other examples include optical and magnetic disks, thumb drives, andsmart cards that are inserted into a drive for transfer onto anothercomputer readable storage medium that is also part of the persistentstorage 308.

The communications unit 310, in these examples, provides forcommunications with other data processing systems or devices. In theseexamples, the communications unit 310 may include one or more networkinterface cards. The communications unit 310 may provide communicationsthrough the use of either or both physical and wireless communicationslinks. The surveying program 150 may be downloaded to the persistentstorage 308 through the communications unit 310. In the context of someembodiments of the present invention, the source of the various inputdata may be physically remote to the computer 300 such that the inputdata may be received and the output similarly transmitted via thecommunications unit 310.

The I/O interface(s) 312 allows for input and output of data with otherdevices that may operate in conjunction with the computer 300. Forexample, the I/O interface 312 may provide a connection to the externaldevices 318, which may include a keyboard, keypad, a touch screen,and/or some other suitable input devices. External devices 318 may alsoinclude portable computer readable storage media, for example, thumbdrives, portable optical or magnetic disks, and memory cards. Softwareand data used to practice embodiments of the present invention may bestored on such portable computer readable storage media and may beloaded onto the persistent storage 308 via the I/O interface(s) 312. TheI/O interface(s) 312 may similarly connect to a display 320. The display320 provides a mechanism to display data to a user and may be, forexample, a computer monitor.

The programs described herein are identified based upon the applicationfor which they are implemented in a specific embodiment of theinvention. However, it should be appreciated that any particular programnomenclature herein is used merely for convenience, and thus theinvention should not be limited to use solely in any specificapplication identified and/or implied by such nomenclature.

The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a computerprogram product at any possible technical detail level of integration.The computer program product may include a computer readable storagemedium (or media) having computer readable program instructions thereonfor causing a processor to carry out aspects of the present invention.

The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that canretain and store instructions for use by an instruction executiondevice. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but isnot limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device,an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, asemiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of thecomputer readable storage medium includes the following: a portablecomputer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), aread-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMor Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portablecompact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD),a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such aspunch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructionsrecorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Acomputer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construedas being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freelypropagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagatingthrough a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulsespassing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmittedthrough a wire.

Computer readable program instructions described herein can bedownloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computerreadable storage medium or to an external computer or external storagedevice via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, awide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprisecopper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wirelesstransmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/oredge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in eachcomputing/processing device receives computer readable programinstructions from the network and forwards the computer readable programinstructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium withinthe respective computing/processing device.

Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations ofthe present invention may be assembler instructions,instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions,machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions,state-setting data, configuration data for integrated circuitry, oreither source code or object code written in any combination of one ormore programming languages, including an object oriented programminglanguage such as Smalltalk, C++, or the like, and procedural programminglanguages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programminglanguages. The computer readable program instructions may executeentirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as astand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partlyon a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. Inthe latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user'scomputer through any type of network, including a local area network(LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to anexternal computer (for example, through the Internet using an InternetService Provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including,for example, programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gatearrays (FPGA), or programmable logic arrays (PLA) may execute thecomputer readable program instructions by utilizing state information ofthe computer readable program instructions to personalize the electroniccircuitry, in order to perform aspects of the present invention.

Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to aprocessor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, orother programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, suchthat the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computeror other programmable data processing apparatus, create means forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructionsmay also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can directa computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or otherdevices to function in a particular manner, such that the computerreadable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises anarticle of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects ofthe function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram blockor blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other deviceto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer,other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computerimplemented process, such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternativeimplementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of theorder noted in the Figures. For example, two blocks shown in successionmay, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks maysometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon thefunctionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocksin the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implementedby special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardwareand computer instructions.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method comprising:receiving surveying data from a proximity barrier survey devicecomprising at least one of a lidar based device, an accelerometer or analtimeter, the proximity barrier survey device mounted to a package, thepackage located within a physical environment; generating athree-dimensional map based on the surveying data wherein the surveyingdata comprises dimensions for the physical environment, dimensions forobjects within the physical environment and dimensions of placement ofthe objects placed within the physical environment; tracking movement ofthe package within the physical environment based on the map and thesurveying data; recording the movement of the package within thephysical environment; generating an animated map of the package withinthe physical environment; identifying, based on said surveying data, animpact event wherein the package experiences a shock greater than apredetermined threshold; and recording at least one of an impact time oran impact position for the impact event, and a magnitude of the impactevent.